The first match of the series started off with a game that was nearly a mix of both formats, ODIs and Twenty20.

The Virat Kohli led Indian side got the opportunity to bat out its 50 overs but was in danger of not doing so, having been reduced to 87 for 5 by Nathan Coulter-Nile taking 3 wickets in quick succession.

However intermittent showers during the break played spoilsport as Australia were set a revised target of 164 off 21 overs via Duckworth-Lewis method.

The visitors seemed caught between the two formats in its chase and could only get to 137 for 9 at the end of the game.

With the ball moving around after the rain break, Jasprit Bumrah played a big part in Steve Smith's dismissal, running behind from short fine-leg to hold on to a terrific catch off Pandya, who soon had Travis Head caught behind, leaving Australia 29 for 3.

Dependent on David Warner, the Australian side suffered a major setback when he edged Kuldeep Yadav to Dhoni in the eighth over.

But it wasn't quite game, set and match yet as Glenn Maxwell was still there, and he sent some shivers down the crowd's spine when he took Kuldeep for a four and three sixes in the 11th over.

Australia hoped again, but Yuzvendra Chahal ended those hopes in the very next over when he forced Maxwell to drag one from outside off to long-on. The rest of the game was just an opportunity for the Indian bowlers to increase their wicket-tally.

The spinning duo of Chahal (3 for 30) and Kuldeep (2 for 33) were among the highest wicket takers, but it was Pandya who provided two crucial strikes at the top to derail the Australian chase.

Opting to bat first, India made what could be termed as the worst start to their innings, losing their first three wickets of just 11 runs.

Though opener Rohit Shrama (28) and Kedar Jadhav (40) tried to find their feet slowly, it seemed that the pitch was assisting the Australian pacers.

However, India rode on contrasting half centuries from all-rounder Pandya (83) and former skipper Dhoni (79) to help India recover from a precarious 87-5 and post a score of 281-7 in their stipulated 50 overs against the Steve Smith-led side.

It was Pandya's career-best ODI score, surpassing his previous best figures of 76, which he notched up against Pakistan in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy final in England earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Dhoni, who also struck four boundaries and two sixes in his 75-ball knock, also forged another healthy 72-run seventh wicket stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (unbeaten at 32) after the loss of Pandya.

Imphal (Manipur) [India], Feb 17 (ANI): Neroca FC coach Gift Raikhan stressed on the 'collective effort' that his side has put together to come up to the rank, where they are vying for the ultimate glory, I-League silverware, that too on their debut season itself.

Karachi [Pakistan], Feb 17 (ANI): Former Pakistan Test cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq has been roped in by defending champions Peshawar Zalmi as their spin bowling consultant for the upcoming third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

New Delhi [India], Feb 17 (ANI): Priyanka Patel shattered a 14-year-old record in the girls 10km walk at the 5th National Race Walking Championships in New Delhi on Saturday when she crossed the finish line in 49:01:81 seconds.

New Delhi [India], Feb 17 (ANI): An increased number of 225 Indian athletes will visit Gold Coast, Australia, to participate in this year's Commonwealth Games, which is slated to be held from April 4 to April 15.

New Delhi [India], Feb 17 (ANI): After Swiss tennis star Roger Federer became the oldest world number one when he reached the semi-finals of the Rotterdam Open, tributes started pouring in for the 20-time Grand Slam winner from current and former players.

Johannesburg [South Africa], Feb 17 (ANI): Aiden Markram, who was appointed as South Africa's stand-in skipper in absence of injured Faf du Plessis, has admitted that leading the national side in the recently-held unsuccessful ODI series against India was `tough`.

New Delhi [India], Feb 17 (ANI): Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) acting president C K Khanna said on Saturday that the Indian cricket team channeled their aggressive attitude in a positive direction, which in turn, helped them to thrash South Africa 5-1 in the ODI series.

Amritsar [India], Feb 17 (ANI): India's Under-19 all-rounder Abhishek Sharma, who was in the 2018 World Cup winning squad, believes that securing a spot in the national team is not a piece of cake and he will have to dig out his own space there.